The present invention relates generally to waste storage vessels and compositions useful therein, and particularly for the storage of hazardous and/or radioactive waste.
Concrete or cement is often a candidate material for use in radioactive waste storage. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,611 proposes containers for storing spent nuclear wastes. The containers comprise concrete with stable uranium oxide aggregate and a neutron absorbing material such as B2O3, HfO3 or Gd2O3. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,257,912, 4,326,918, 4,845,372, and 4,950,246 propose concrete encapsulation for spent nuclear fuel storage. U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,455 proposes a multilayer concrete-based storage container for hazardous, radioactive, and mixed waste materials.
There is; however, a need for compositions for waste storage vessels which are less expensive and less dependent on complicated containment structures, while providing acceptable levels of shielding the environment from the hazardous aspects of the waste.